The mentality of how a building should feel is changing. The systematic approach of over-cooling the entire office at one temperature in the summer and over-heating the entire office in the winter is not acceptable, not energy-efficient and not cost-efficient.
In a more progressive workplace, occupants prefer to maintain environmental control over their workspace, and such control has proven to increase worker productivity. Companies and individuals often want to achieve the most energy-efficient work and living space possible, but they often have a limited budget. While many automation systems exist, such systems are typically more expensive and outside of a limited budget. Budget is almost always the inhibiting factor when considering the purchase of building/home automated control systems for shades, lights, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and/or A/V. Automation often has a poor return on investment due to expensive wiring costs, especially for retrofit projects. As such, when a company cannot afford automation, the company is usually only able to install manual shades.
However, a need exists to adjust (e.g., raise and lower) the window coverings at specific times in order to optimize the dimmable lighting and HVAC systems. For example, by raising the window coverings every morning, the dimmable lighting system and the HVAC would adjust to having natural light and heat entering the space. Essentially, raising and lowering the shades may be one key to jump starting all of the building's systems. For additional ways to improve workplace performance, see “Workplace Strategies that Enhance Performance, Health and Wellness” by Gordon Wright, Director of Consulting, at HOK (http://www.hok.com/thought-leadership/workplace-strategies-that-enhance-human-performance-health-and-wellness/), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Therefore, a need exists for notifying individuals of the preferred, optimal and/or desired times to adjust window coverings and/or other systems.